Once a Gambler
by Kreuger2
Summary: Following on from Fold Equity Cal has some apologising to do.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Lie to Me story. I'm really loving the dynamic this season, and after the last episode this was just begging to be written.

I see this as a three part story, I'm working on part 2 now, I will try to have it finished soon.

Obviously I don't own anything.

xxx

It was the end of the day when he found Foster in her office. "You're mad at me." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.

She hadn't spoken to him since she had walked away from him at the roulette table in Vegas. The plane ride home had been a long one that was for sure. They had been back in the lab for two days now and she still wasn't speaking to him.

"You know for the worlds leading expert in facial expression you can be incredibly dense." She spat the words at him before looking at her computer screen and once again pretending he wasn't there.

"I don't see what the problem is." He looked to her expectantly waiting for something in her expression to tell him he could make his peace so they could get passed this. He wasn't about to admit it to her, but he missed her.

"Of course you don't Cal,_ that's_ the problem. A million dollars. It was enough, it was everything we needed to clear us with the bank and then some, and what do you do with it? I shouldn't even be surprised, you're Cal Lightman, the rules don't apply to you do they?" She shot him one last look of disgust before turning back to the screen before her.

"I don't get it, I won." He really was nonplussed they had more money, how was this a problem?

"Through shear luck. You know they say gambling's a fools game, and I guess they're right cos look where it got me. I took a gamble on you Cal, and all these years I've been telling people to take it easy on you. You're a genius, and you have to make certain allowances for genius. I'm starting to think maybe I've been kidding myself all these years. You're just a selfish, arrogant child, who can't control his primal urges the way most people learn to do before they've even started school." She didn't turn away this time, she wanted him to see the full impact of her anger.

"That's not true." He spoke pointedly, "There's one primal urge I manage to suppress on a daily basis." He looked to the ground, gathering his thoughts before he continued. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have left there with less than a million dollars, I swear." He took in her expression trying to determine whether she believed him, "I would have gone to the poker tables, I would have done something to win it back."

"Do you remember why you were banned from the city in the first place? I hate Vegas Cal, I hate what it does to you, you aren't the person I know when you're there, you're a stranger to me and that scares me. You have all these different faces to you, so many different sides to your personality that I get, but that one? I'm never going to understand that one. I'm never going to be able to understand why you would take the money that could save our company and bet every last cent of it on a game designed to make fools out of anyone trying to beat it." Her look was one of sadness now; the last traces of her anger lingered only slightly.

"Gillian," he took a seat in the chair in front of her desk and reached over to take her hand in his. "I really am sorry, I'm never going to stop being a gambler, I'm not going to lie to you, it's who I am, it's in my nature, but I will promise that next time I do something so incredibly stupid I will make sure the risk I take is my own." The sadness was his to bear now, the constant guilt he felt for all that he put her through taking residence around his eyes.

She offered him a weak smile, she hated that look in his eyes, the one that said he was responsible for all the pain in her life. It was this look that stopped her from walking away from him, this look that revealed that he cared for her as much as she cared for him. "I'd prefer it if you would just stop being stupid, but I know enough to know that this is the best I'm going to get from you."

"Thanks Luv." He offered her a cheeky grin. "Now I've got to make my peace with Reynolds, I really don't know what I've done there." He walked out, failing to see the gleam in his partners eye.


	2. Chapter 2

"Have I done something to upset you?" He didn't waste any time getting to the point with Reynolds. He had used up all his patience in his efforts to get Foster back on side, he wasn't in the mood for playing games with emotionally wounded FBI agents.

"You take the cake you really do." Ben Reynolds stood to face the man in front of him.

"I'm sure you're right but you're going to have to elaborate."

"You have this amazing woman in front of you willing to do anything for you, and do you even see it?" He had dealt with more intimidating men that Cal Lightman, he wasn't afraid of telling him what an idiot he was.

"That is none of your business." There was a warning in his voice, reinforced by the expression on his face. "My relationship with Foster is out of bounds."

"Somebody has to stand up and tell you what you're doing to her." He shot back.

"Oh and that's you is it? What you've appointed yourself her protector have you?" He saw the flash of anger clear as day on Reynolds' face. "You're out of your league."

"With you? I'll take my chances." He spat his disdain at the older man.

"With Foster you idiot. You fancy her don't you?" The look in his eyes was a challenge.

Reynolds laughed nervously, "It isn't about that."

"Sure it is. You're upset because she wont walk away from me." The arrogant smirk on Cals face was doing nothing to calm Reynolds.

"You don't deserve her loyalty, you know that right?"

"In my defence, I do know that." This time his look was one of shame. He was aware that he hurt her on a regular basis. He wished he could say he didn't do it on purpose, but part of him was well aware of what he was doing. They had been friends for a long time, almost from the beginning he had realised that Gillian Foster was too good for him. He never had that trouble with Zoe. Zoe was strong, she gave as good as she got, their relationship had been volatile and that was just the way he had liked it. He never had to worry that he was hurting her because he knew that she could take it. It wasn't the same with Gillian. She was a gentler, kinder soul, she needed protecting from guys like him. The way that he behaved, the hurt he threw at her on a regular basis was a reminder to her that he was not the kind of guy she needed. At least that was what he told himself to allow himself to sleep at night.

"I don't get it. I know you see what I see, you know how she feels about you. And I may not be an expert in the field but I know you care about her. That much at least is evident. I see the pain it causes you to hurt her, to disappoint her. Why do you do it?" He had started out with the intention of giving Lightman a piece of his mind, but as the conversation progressed he was starting to feel sorry for him.

"I'm not having this conversation with you. I made my peace with Foster, if she can forgive me then you can get off your high horse. Get back to work." With that Lightman left the agent to his thoughts, and headed back to his office to deal with his own.


End file.
